Bingo card marking device



A. CROZIER May 14, 1968 BINGO CARD MARKING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1965 l/VVEN70R ALLAN CROZIER W T RIVEY United States Patent 3,383,112 BINGO CARD MARKING DEVICE Allan Crozier, 11B Picardy Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Filed Sept. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 491,174 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-136) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A transparent base having a plurality of pivotal tabs secured to the base. The base forms part of a container with a cover and in use the cover is removed, a bingo card is placed within the cover and the container is nested within the cover whereby the bingo card is between the cover and the base. Inasmuch as the base is transparent, the bingo card can be viewed therethrough and the tabs can be moved to cover numbers as they are called.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bingo marking devices.

It is conventional, in the game of bingo, to cover the numbers upon the car-d 'as they are called and it is usual to utilize plastic tokens or pices of cardboard of one form or another to cover the numbers as they are called, said tokens preferably being transparent so that although the number is covered, it can be read through the token.

Suoh tokens or markers are easily dislodged and considerable care has to be taken by the player in order that the numbers called may remain covered.

Attempts have been made in the past to provide bingo card holders with flaps of one form or another which may be moved to cover the numbers but such card hol ers are relatively expensive.

I have overcome the disadvantages of conventional methods by providing a relatively simple transparent plastic holder under which the card may be placed, said holder incorporating pivoted markers which may readily be moved into position to cover the numbers as they are called.

The holder includes a substantially rectangular eontainer of transparent plastic having a plurality of transverse strips situated in spaced and parallel relationship with the transparent base of the container, said strips carrying pivoted markers and means to retain the markers frictionally under the strips until they are required. When the marker is required to be moved, it is readily disengaged from the frictional holding means and swung or pivoted away from the strip so that it covers a predetermined area.

A transparent cover is also supplied, which, when removed, is adapted to receive firstly the bingo card and secondly the container in nesting relationship, and as the container base is transparent, the numbers of the bingo card can be readily seen therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the markers can readily be moved to the position under the strips when the game is completed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin dscribed which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing in view, and all those objects, purposes or advantages which may become apparent from consideration of this disclosure and specification, the present invention consists of the inventive concept embodied in the construction and arrangement of parts as lCC herein particularly exemplified in one or more specific embodiments of such concept, reference being had to the accompanying figures in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device showing the container in nesting relationship with the cover and the bingo card therebetween.

FIGURE 2 is 'a fragmentary sectional side elevation of the device with the cove-r in the covering position.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the container in nesting relationship with the cover and the card therebetween.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged plan view of one of the bingo markers.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation showing the mounting of the marker between the strip and the base.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary isometric View of a bingo card of a permanent type.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Before proceeding with the description of the device, it will of course be appreciated that conventional bingo cards are substantially rectangular in shape and of a standard size. The cover of my device is also rectangular and is of -a size suflicient to just receive one of the conventional bingo cards so that it is registered in the correct position. The drawings do not show the complete container and cover as it is not deemed necessary after the fore-going description.

Proceeding therefore with a description of the invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings in which 10 illustrates a substantially rectangular container including a base panel 11 and upstanding or upturned side edges 12.

A corresponding cover member 13 is provided and includes a planar top panel 14 and downturned side edges or lips 15 which, when used to close the container, overlap the aforementioned upturned edges 12 as clearly shown in FIGURE 2.

However, the dimensions of the cover 13 and the container 10 are such that when the cover is removed and reversed, the container 10 may be nested within the cover as shown in FIGURE 3, with a conventional bingo card 16 situated between the base 11 of the container and the panel 14 of the cover and this is shown in detail in FIG- URE 3.

A base plate 17 is secured to the base 11 of the container and is provided with a plurality of mounting strips 18 extending across the base plate 17 and positioned so that they lie substantially between horizontal rows of numbered squares 19 of the associated bingo card 16.

These strips are supported in spaced and parallel relationship above the base panel 17 by means of pins 20 and bingo markers collectively designated 21 are pivotally mounted on these pins between the base member 17 and the strips 18.

These strips 18 are provided with enlarged substantially circular portions 22 along the length thereof and the disc shaped portion 23 of the markers 21 normally registers under these enlarged portions 22.

The markers 21 include the aforementioned disc shaped portion 23 with an otfsta-nding mounting portion or strip 24 extending from one side of the disc portion 23. The end 25 of the mounting portion is slotted as at 26, said slot merging into an enlargement 27 at the inner end thereof. This enables the mounting portion to be engaged around the aforementioned pins 20 which register within the enlarged portion 27 thus permitting pivotal action of the markers but preventing undesirable displacement of the markers from the pins 20.

The markers are also provided with an upstanding lip 28 extending partway around one side of the disc shaped portion 23 and this lip extends just above the upper surface 29 of the aforementioned strips 18 so that it can be engaged by the lingers of the bingo player to move portion 23 from the position under the strip 18 to a position covering a number upon the associated bingo card 16.

I have provided stop pins 30 also extending upwardly from the base member 17 and these pins are positioned so that when the marker is extended as shown in FIGURE 1, it engages against the stop pin 30 which positions the disc portion 23 so that it substantially covers the number upon the bingo card.

It is also desirable to prevent the markers from. inadvertently moving from under the strips 18 until required and in this connection I provide friction pins 31 between the strips 18 and the base member 17, said friction pins also helping to mount the strips 18 upon the base member 17. These pins 31. are positioned so that the periphery 32 of the markers 21 fr-ictionally engages these pins when the markers are in position under the strips, said frictional engagement being just sufficient to hold them against inadventent movement.

In operation, the bingo player removes the cover 13 from the container 10, reverses the cover and places the bingo card 16 therein and then nests the container within the cover and upon the card 16 as shown in FIGURE 3.

All of the markers are moved so that they register under the strips 18 and, as the numbers are called, the

markers are moved downwardly to the position to cover the numbers as shown in FIGURE 1.

It will, of course, be appreciated that the entire device is preferably made of transparent plastic either colored or not and the markers 21 are also of transparent plastic so that the number can be read therethrough.

If it is desirable to provide permanent bingo cards, then the design shown in FIGURE 7 is of merit. This shows horizontal rows 33 of the numbers situated in stepped relationship one to the other thus forming ledges 34 therebetween. This card can be used with the aforementioned container, or alternatively, can be used with the conventional markers, the ledges preventing, to a certain degree, inadventent displacement of the markers therefrom.

Since various modifications can be made to the invention herein described, within the scope of the inventive concept disclosed, it is not intended that protection of the said invention should be interpreted as restricted to the modification or modifications or known parts of such concept as have been particularly described, defined, or

exemplified, since this disclosure is intended to explain the construction and operation of such concept, and not for thepurpose of limiting protection to any specific embodiment or details thereof.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A bingo card marking device comprising in combination a transparent base, hing-o number tab mounting means on said base, and a plurality of bingo number markers pivotally secured by one end thereof to said mounting means, stop means on said base to limit the amount of pivotal travel of said markers away fir-om said mounting means, friction means associated with said mounting means to detaohably hold said markers against said pivotal travel, and a transparent, substantially rectangular open faced container for said base, a substantially rectangular detachable cover for said container, said container being nestable within said cover when said cover is removed from said container whereby a bingo card nested between said cover and said container can be viewed through said transparent base.

2. The device according to claim 1 in which said mounting means comprises a strip extending across said base in spaced and parallel relationship above said base, said markers being pivotally secured between said base and said strip.

3. The dewic'e according to claim 1 in which said markers comprise a substantially disc shaped portion and a mounting portion extending from one side of said disc shaped pom-tion, and an upstanding lip formed on one side of said disc shaped portion.

4. The device according to claim 2 in which said markers comprise a substantially disc shaped portion and a mounting portion extending from one side of said disc shaped portion, and an upstanding lip formed on one side of said disc shaped portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,192,825 3/1940 Carney 273-135 2,230,178 1/1941 Campbell 273-136 2,240,619 5/1941 Hartman 273-136 2,634,131 4/1953 Buchmiller 273135 3,014,727 12/1961 Myers 273-135 3,156,469 11/1964 Mokler 273-135 FOREIGN PATENTS 159,729 3/1921 Great Britain.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

